


Hot Chocolate

by Small_Hobbit



Series: Yet Another Twelve Days of Christmas [8]
Category: Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: M/M, Retirement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:55:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28240515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: Watson is happy watching the falling snow through the window
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Series: Yet Another Twelve Days of Christmas [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2068605
Comments: 8
Kudos: 23





	Hot Chocolate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Luthienberen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luthienberen/gifts).



We were in the quiet period between Christmas and New Year. There had been the usual Christmas festivities, with no more unexpected events than a village Christmas normally provides. We had spent a delightful day with Seth, Ellen, and Arthur, and were looking forward to celebrating the departure of the Old Year at the Red Lion, even if we were not intending remaining long enough to great the New Year.

But for now, we had a few days just to ourselves in our cottage. Mrs Maiden had been that morning and ensured there were sufficient meals to keep us until her return in two days’ time. In fact, there was enough to last longer than that, should we have the misfortune to be snowed in, although the likelihood of that was remote. Our cottage might be a little apart from the main village, but we had neighbours and we lived on the road which led onto the next village with a number of farms along the way.

It was indeed snowing, but not heavily, and it was quite easy to see the individual snowflakes. I was watching them through the window when Holmes came to join me, bearing two steaming cups.

“I’ve made us some hot chocolate,” Holmes said. “I thought we deserved some after our walk this morning.”

I accepted the drink gratefully and wrapped my hands round the cup. “Yes, it did get quite cold by the end,” I replied. “And I was right, it’s just starting to snow.”

“I never disputed that it would snow. My argument was that we didn’t need to rush back too quickly as we would be home before it started.”

“Not by very much. And if we had taken the track you wanted to take, we would not have been back in time.” I took a sip of the hot chocolate and hummed appreciatively. “You’ve added something other than the basic ingredients,” I said.

“And why not? We have nowhere to go and nothing that we must do.”

“Apart from watching the snow falling.”

Holmes gave a bark of laughter. “I see our neighbours have discovered the snow.”

I joined him in his laughter. All four Hopkins’ children were outside, the three older ones were rushing up and down the path at the front of their cottage, while James, the youngest, looked rather bewildered. Shortly afterwards Hopkins came out and scooped James up in his arms. I assumed he would soon go back inside, but he stood there, apparently enjoying the scene.

And then Annie came out to join them. She held out her arms in the snow and looked very much like Florrie, her eldest, did as she watched the snowflakes falling on her coat sleeves.

“You forget how different snow is in the country compared to the city,” Holmes said. “I foresee snowmen and toboggans in the near future.”

I drank some more of my hot chocolate. “And I shall enjoy watching them through the window. This is by far the best way to enjoy snow now.”


End file.
